Katniss Everlasting
by Flying Mockingjay
Summary: Katniss and Peeta form an alliance with the Careers. But a specific male Career has his eyes set on her. Cato/Katniss
1. The Beginning

**Thanks to everyone who likes this story! PLEASE comment and give me ideas for what I should do next! You can check out my other stories too! :)  
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**6/2/12  
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**Hello everybody! I'm separating this story into separate chapters right now, so please don't be sad for those of you who have read it that a lot of the content is gone. It will definitely be back soon, I promise! Please review! Special thanks to MiSSxMELON and WaffleManiac!  
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**_Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does, and she always will. Please remember my disclaimer for future chapters, she will still own THG.  
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1

Prim's small body manages to push me off the bed, startling me. But I'm so tired I don't even notice it. I manage to sleep for a couple more hours, but then my mother wakes me up.

"Time for the reaping." she says. I groan and hide under the bed. I completely forgot today was the 74th Hunger Games. I pull out the blue frilly dress that Prim always wants me to wear. The dress is way too tight, but it doesn't hurt that bad. Prim comes out wearing my old red dress, that I wore to the school dance. My mother sits on her bed, her eyes swollen and sad. She's had a tough time ever since our father died, working in the mines. I wonder if Gale is getting ready to go the reaping this early, like I am. I start cooking the bread that the Gale gave me yesterday, still fresh. The tasty aroma fills my nostrils, and I dig in.

I read the latest news from the Panem Times, and I say this lady with a bright colored wig and pink lipstick. _"Effie Trinket will pick the tributes from District Twelve" _it says. I sigh and pound the table with frustration. I HATE the Hunger Games. It's the Capitol's reminder to never form a rebellion against them ever again. We head out the door, and run into Gale.

"Prim!" I say. "Gale and I are going to head to the reaping. I'll see you there." I run away before my mother can object.

"Hi Catnip," Gale says. I blush, although we're just friends. We throw some rocks into the pond and stop to rest. The reaping for District 12 is 5 miles away, so we relax. "Are you nervous?" I blurt out. I want to slap my head right now for asking that question. Gale laughs, surprising me. "For what?" he says. "The Hunger Games!" I say. "Yeah, everyone is. Why?" Gale looks at me funny. "I don't know. I guess I'm just really scared if I get picked. I wonder how Prim is feeling right now." I expect Gale to say something, but he just stares at the ground, watching the ripples in the water. We don't say anything for the next couple minutes, so I decide to continue on.

The reaping area is mostly packed by the time we get there. I see Prim, walking by herself. I quickly say bye to Gale and take Prim's hand. "What an honor to be here!" squeals the woman, Effie up onstage. "Isn't it just lovely to see all of your faces and to be here today, picking the boy and girl to be in the Hunger Games?" Suddenly, a man screams out, "No you dumb wig lady! Who in their right mind would LIKE to be in the Hunger Games! It's sick, and not to mention gory and bloody!" A Peacekeeper shoots the man with an arrow that hits his chest. He falls to the ground, dead. The Peacekeeper drags him away, acting like the whole thing never happened. Prim stares at me, her eyes big. "Anyway," Effie says. "Our girl tribute from district twelve is!" She reaches into the girls' basket, closes her eyes, and pulls out a piece of folded paper. She quickly unfolds it and reads the name. It's Primrose Everdeen.

I can hardly believe my eyes. Prim? How can it be her? She only put her name once! I put my name in 25 times, in exchange for food. Prim walks to the stage, accepting her "reward". I want to punch something, I am so annoyed. "Prim!" I say. Two Peacekeepers block me; prevent me from going any further. "I volunteer!" I say loudly, and everybody stares at me. "I volunteer as tribute!" The whole audience gasps; they haven't had a volunteer in years. "How exciting!" Effie squeals. "Come up!" I slowly make my way to the stage, all eyes fixed deeply on me. "And our boy tribute from district twelve is Peeta Mallark!"

A tall, blond boy comes up to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, these are the tributes for district twelve!" Effie says. No one claps, obviously. I am completely dazed, and the next thing I know I'm being pushed into a car with Peeta Mallark. I seem to lose consciousness, after hitting my head on the window. When I wake up, I find myself in a dark blue room. I scream, but nothing comes out. Effie comes in.

"Hello Ms. Everdeen." she says. "Mr. Mallark is in the other room, with Cinna your fashion designer. Dinner?" I nod, but I am still confused. Is Prim and my mother okay? Is Gale okay? I bury myself into a pillow on the bed and immediately burst into tears. I'm going into the Hunger Games, and have to face all the other districts. I rest for another ten minutes, until I'm being called. I head out to what I think is the dining room; I don't know where I am. Effie, and a guy I recognize sit at the table. "Are you okay?" Effie says. "You seem to have blacked out so I put you in your room to rest." "WHERE AM I?" I demand. "You're in the district 12's Capitol Building." Says the man. Then I snap my fingers. He's Haymitch, the winner of the 50th Hunger Games. He must be here to help me and that Mallark guy train. Effie leads my away, to a room. Peeta is in there. "Hello." He says. "Hi." I say. Effie walks away, leaving us two alone. I touch the red velvet carpet, amazed by its softness. "Are you going to dinner?" He asks. I say yes, and leave the room. What more could I have said to him besides hi and yes? Haymitch is standing near my room. "You will need to get up early to start your training." He says. "And don't worry, you're sister is fine." I breathe a sigh and relief, and somehow end up hugging Haymitch. He hugs me back, but only for a short time. "Remember, when you're in the arena, make sure to look out for your enemies." I nod and head out to the dinner table. My mouth almost waters at the sight of the food. Hot, steamy chicken sits on people's plates, along with all sorts of types of fresh berries and vegetables. Buttered rolls sit in a basket, and glasses full with wine are there as well. Effie comes in, all bubbly and happy. My mind suddenly switches back to confusion. "What's going on, and how did I end up here?" I ask. "Oh, you volunteered for what I think is your sister, got thrown into the car with Peeta to go here, and know you are about to eat dinner." She replies. "When am I going into the Hunger Games?" I say. "Not for another couple weeks." Says Effie instantly. "Dinner!" she yells. Haymitch, Peeta, and two people I don't recognize come to the table. "This is Cinna, you're stylist." Effie says to me. Cinna gives a polite wave. He seems very shy to me, though. "And Peeta this is your stylist, Portia." A woman with a bright, yellow hairdo smiles at us. We all sit down, and gobble down our foods. Peeta and I, especially, since we are all SO hungry. We exchange a few comments back and forth, when he sneaks me a bread roll under the table, since I am all out. I take it without hesitation, but I touch his hand, not the roll. I blush, and I feel the roll and take it. He smiles at me. He seems to be nice. But, he is a tribute. A tribute a will try to kill me and win the Hunger Games.


	2. Before Your Eyes

2 

I head off to bed, and find Peeta sitting in my room. He's talking with Haymitch. "Um, hey what are you doing in my room?" I ask.

"Oh sorry," Peeta quickly says. "We needed to get something, and we ended up in a conversation."

I smile. "It's fine, it's fine, it's fine." I say. "What am I?" I say in my head. "A broken record?"

They leave the room, but I stop Peeta.

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't say much to you when I first saw you, I was just confused with this whole situation." I blurt out. He doesn't say anything for a second, so I'm afraid he's going to tell me to just forget it. But he laughs. "Haha, it's fine. I was nervous too. Did you say goodbye to your family?" he says.

"No, but I heard Effie talking to Haymitch earlier and she said that we can say goodbye to our family tomorrow before training." I say, really fast.

"Oh okay." Says Peeta. "Listen, when where in the arena, would you like to be allies? If one of us doesn't die first."

I laugh, and so does he. "Yes, I would like to." I say. "Thank you for asking me." Peeta smiles and leaves. I go and take a shower. After I'm all changed, I get into bed, exhausted. I go to sleep and don't wake up until late morning.

My eyes open and I scream. There are 3 people looking down at me, smiling. "Haymitch!" I yell. He comes rushing in, and starts laughing.

"That's your prep team!" he says. I'm annoyed. And how am I supposed to know that? Anyway, Haymitch introduces me to them. There names are Venia, Flavius, and Octavia. He says that they will make me look "fresh". They seem nice enough, but when they start making comments like "Ooh! You're as hairy as a monkey!" or "What is in your hair? Dandruff?" I grit my teeth as they fix me up. My whole skin hurts, because they're taking most of the hair off of my arms and legs. Even my eyebrows! Once I'm done, Octavia blows me a kiss and say I look beautiful. I look in the mirror and I can't believe my eyes. I look like a refreshed new me! I say thank you, and they hurry out the door. Cinna comes in minutes later. He gives me a handshake, his grip firm. He studies me for a while, and then says "Aha!" He takes a little sketch pad from his pocket, and he quickly draws something.

"This is what you will be wearing to the interviews." He says, showing me the drawing. I love it, actually. The dress is beautiful, a bright red color. It's not too frilly either. Cinna excuses himself for a minute, and comes back with an outfit. "This is what you will be wearing to the training center." He says. Training Center? Oh, right, Haymitch says we have training tomorrow. I take the outfit, get dressed, and head out the door. Effie shows me to a high-tech elevator. Peeta arrives, and we both step in. We wait in the darkness.

"So, are you excited to see the Training Center?" he asks. I actually am.

"Yes, but I'm worried that the Careers will try and intimidate us." I say.

They usually team up together, as they are usually the strongest. People actually WANT to volunteer in their districts! Can you believe that?

"Well, Haymitch told me to make some friends; you should try so too." Says Peeta.

That last comment sticks in my head. Who should I make friends with?


	3. The Career Alliance

3

We get to the training center and only District 1 & 2 are there. Peeta and I take our spot, the floor marked with district numbers to tell you where to stand. The 1 & 2 guys are huge. The 1 girl is about my height, and the 2 girl is a little shorter. The district 2 guy winks at me. When he isn't looking, I tell Peeta.

"Don't worry, he just wants to intimidate you." He says.

"How?" I say.

Peeta doesn't answer me; I don't think he even heard me. I break the conversation and don't say anything. By noon, all the tributes show up. The head trainer Atala, explained some rules while being in the training center.

"First of all, NO FIGHTING. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. Second thing, take advantage of the weapons and etc. here. You may only be able to use these once." She says a few other things, and we get started.

I head over to the archery station. I see the District 2 girl going to the knives station. She picks up 4 knives and throws them. They all hit the targets. My eyes widen. I pick up a silver bow and arrow, it's silver color sparkling in the sun. I see the target, and I shoot. The arrow hits the target. I see the District 1 tributes, staring at me, smiling meanly. I smile at them back, and the expression quickly dissapears from their faces. The district 2 guy comes up behind me.

"Hi." He says. I step back.

"Hi." I say.

"You're really skilled with a bow and arrow. How did you get so good?"

A jumble of thoughts go through my head. No one has ever asked me that before.

"Well um, I hunt for my family and I've been doing it for five years now. I can hunt birds, rabbits, deer and other animals. But I'm not so sure I can hunt people."

I'm afraid I've made him angry, him being a Career and all, but he laughs. "Well you are very good with that arrow. Do you want me for an ally?" he says.

I think of Peeta. I really want Peeta for an ally, but if I say now, then will I be a target for the Careers? He's expecting an answer, any minute now, so I say yes. But I can't say ANYTHING to Peeta about this. He will be very hurt and feel rejected. The guy extends his hand for me to shake it. I do.

"I'm Cato." He says. The district 2 girl comes over. "Hey Cato, do you have any of those swords. I need to practice." She says. She smiles at me, but her expression on her face is a little cold. "Yeah sure." Cato says. He takes a sword with a cruel looking blade from his belt. Clove took the sword and went over to the dummy area and started stabbing the dummy.

I go back to bow and arrows. I pull it back, and release. The arrow hits the target. Cato congratulates me. He introduces me to Glimmer and Marvel, the District 1 tributes and Clove, the female tribute from 2. The mean smile they give me is forgotten. Glimmer is especially nice.

"Katniss! You look so pretty!" "Thank you." I say. "So do you." Glimmer skips around the room, overjoyed by my compliment.

Marvel smiles at me, but doesn't say anything. He seems like the shy and quiet type to me. However, he's not afraid to brag when he throws that spear. I see Peeta watching us, and for a moment we lock eyes. He quickly gives me a sign of frustration and heads on over to the rope station. I worry now. Does he know that I'm an ally with Cato and the other Careers? I sigh. Maybe being with the Careers was a mistake. But I can't turn back now.


	4. 12 And 12

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while... I changed the training scores around, to make it different.**

**Have fun reading! You guys are all awesome!  
**

4

Once the training center event is done, each tribute gets a private session with the Gamemakers to show off their skills. I'm really nervous when it's down to Peeta and me. We don't say anything. When it's time for Peeta to head in, I smile at him. For the first time, he smiles at me back. It seems like forever until Peeta is finally done. I slowly make my way towards the double doors. I enter the room. The first thing I notice are silver arrows. I run over to them. I see the Gamemakers, waiting for me to do something. I shoot an arrow. It hits the target, and I shoot another one. And another. When I'm done, all the arrows have hit the target. I bow to the Gamemakers, and they clap wildly. I bow and they dismiss me. I am so excited when I get back to 12's Capitol Building that I can hardly eat. "How was everyone's session with the Gamemakers?" Effie looks at me and Peeta. "Good." I blurt out, not wanting to brag. "Good." Peeta says. Effie wants us to say more, but we don't. When dinner is over, we head into the living room to see the scores on television. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, we will be moving to the Hunger Games building in a tomorrow, because you guys will be riding in the chariots with your stunning outfits and the interviews!" Effie exclaims. She pressed a button and the television pops up. Caeser Flickerman is there. He's been the announcer of the games for 40 years now. He reads the scores one by one. The scores are based on a scale from 1-12. A write down a list of the scores that the tributes got. I don't bother naming some of the tributes, only the tributes that I recognize.

Glimmer – 10

Marvel – 9

Clove – 10

Cato – 11

3 Girl – 3

3 Boy – 5

4 Girl – 8

4 Boy – 7

Foxface – 5

5 Boy – 3

6 Girl – 4

6 Boy – 4

7 Girl – 5

7 Boy – 5

8 Boy – 6

8 Girl – 4

9 Boy – 5

9 Girl – 3

10 Girl – 4

10 Boy – 4

Rue – 7

Thresh – 10

Finally it's down to me and Peeta. My stomach becomes twisted into knots, and my throat becomes dry. "Peeta Mallark received a trained score of..." Caesar pauses. "8." Everybody cheers.

"Fantastic job Peeta!" Effie says.

Haymitch slaps Peeta on the back. "Congratulations" he says.

"And last but not least, Katniss Everdeen received a score of..." I am so nervous right now my hands are shaking like I'm having spasms. "12."


	5. The Unexpected

5

A 12? I can't believe it! Haymitch pumps his fist up in the air and Effie squeals with delight. Cinna is so happy and run over and hugs me. Peeta gives me a hug too but not for long. I see the hurt look in his eyes, and he dissapears to his room. I want to comfort him, but it would be too strange and awkward for me to have to do that. My joy turns to sadness but I try to hide it. I excuse myself and head to my room. I fall asleep immediately. In my dreams is Peeta turning into a wolf and swallows me. I wake up, basically in tears, until I calm myself down by getting a glass of water and some pie. I eventually fall back asleep. By the time I awake, it's morning. I yawn and head out to breakfast. Pancakes and waffles are stacked up, coated with syrup. Buns and other breads sit at the table as well. Different types of pies sit at the table, their crust nice and flaky. Effie is their along with Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia.

"Awesome job on getting that 12 last night." Haymitch says.

My heart sinks. Why did he have to remind me about that? Effie speaks up.

"Katniss, get your stuff together because we're moving, remember?"

That's right! Today is the day of the chariots. I'm not that excited, who wants to wear a stupid costume and be greeted by fans who want to see us get killed? Anyway, I eat and go to my room. Cinna and Portia are there with his costumes he created for me and Peeta. Peeta enters and they hand us the costumes. He goes back to his room and Portia and Cinna leave. I put on my costume and stand in the mirror. My outfit is a black color. Cinna told me that when you activate a secret button on your outfit, it creates fire. I was so scared at first, but he reasurred me by saying that it won't hurt me. Cinna is actually one of the very few people that I like here, and doesn't annoy me (like sometimes Effie), so I trust him.

Once we get there, we equip the chariots to the horses and wait. "BEGIN!" a man says through the speaker. District 1 goes in first, then 2, 3, and so forth. Huge amounts of applause are awarded for the Careers. Finally when 12 enters, the crowd goes wild! I see tiny Rue in her leafy agriculture outfit, she looks so cute! I offer to take Peeta's hand, and he accepts it, but his grip is weak. I look at him for a couple seconds. I meet his gaze. I give him a little smile and he smiles back. I want to join with Peeta and make an alliance, but if I break off with the Careers, I'll probably be a huge match for them. I'm wondering how to get Peeta in with the Careers when President Snow welcomes us. Wow, his voice hasn't really changed in the past 10 years. Maybe because he's like 60, but whatever. Anyway, he says how happy he is too welcome us. For a moment, I see him look me in the eye. I'm afraid that it's a bad look, so I smile at him. He raises his eyebrows and turns his face to see the left side of the audience. He says thank you and we head back. Cinna, Effie, Haymitch, and Portia are there. Effie gives me a hug and says we "rocked" the show. Everyone else just says great job. I see Glimmer looking at me. I wave. She gives me a thumbs up. I also see Cato and Clove, and Cato gives me another wink. For some stupid reason, I blush, but I smile at them. Marvel doesn't even notice me at all. I then turn to Peeta.

"Hey Peeta, um, how about if I get you with the Careers this year?" I expect him to be thrilled, but his face turns into a frown.

"No." he says. "I don't want to be with them. Katniss, they'll probably kill you when you're sleeping. They're too strong."

I become angry. I push him a little. "Peeta, I thought you would like to be with the Careers. But no. You're strong too!" But Peeta doesn't budge. Finally, I come up with a plan. "Fine, but let's go over to the refreshments." We head to the table. Since Cato and Clove are only a couple feet away, I take Peeta's hand and rush over to them.

"Hi guys, this is Peeta. I was wondering if you wanted to accept him in the alliance."

My heart is beating so hard now, I'm afraid I'm going to have a heart attack. "Sure!" Cato says. "He got a training score of 8, so he must be pretty good." Peeta stares at me likes he wants to strangle me with his bare hands, but I guess he forces himself to hold his ground. "Hey thanks, um that really means a lot." He gives us a nod and heads over to Haymitch. Clove comes over and kisses Cato on the cheek. They hold hands and walk over to what I think is their mentor, Enobaria. She won the 65th Hunger Games by ripping her opponents throat out. After she won, the Capitol gave her two solid gold fangs. I seem to appear dumbfounded at Cato and Clove's romance, because they come over to me and tell me they're dating.

"Oh I'm so happy for you guys!" I exclaim.

Clove is so overjoyed, she gives me a friendly hug. She excuses herself and heads over to her mentor.

"Wait Cato." I stop him before he can leave.

"Why did you wink at me if you told me you were dating Clove?"

Now he blushes.

"Um, I wanted to break up with Clove so I could be with you."


	6. The Moment

**Hi everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update; I've been REALLY, REALLY, busy this week. I hope you guys like this a lot, because I put a lot of time and effort into it. Anyway, please comment and feel free to PM me!  
**

6

I pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming. Cato likes me? He's like 8 inches taller than me and weighs about 90 more pounds than me! He heads over to Clove and whispers something in her ear. Clove's smile remains, but pained. Once Cato leaves, she bursts into tears and runs to a room marked "District 2" on the door. I try to open it, but it's locked.

"Clove!" I say.

I hear nothing. I say her name again. I still hear silence.

"CLOVE!" I yell. Luckily the room we're in is so noisy my voice blends in with everybody.

"What the hell do you want?" she opens the door.

Her makeup around her eyes is smeared, and her cheeks are wet.

"May I come in?" I say, trying to be nice.

"Why? Are you here to tell me about you going to make out with Cato afterwards?" she sneers.

"No, I just wanted to see if you were okay. I don't like Cato that way."

To my relief, she calms down.

"Well um, I didn't really like him either, I don't know why I overeacted."

"Yeah, you like freaked-" Clove glares at me and I shut up.

"I kind of like, Marvel."

Hmmm. Marvel. I didn't really notice him that much, but if he makes Clove thinks he's hot, then it works for me. Frankly, I don't care about dating, appearance, etc. I'm more focused on keeping my family from starvation.

"Well why don't I try to make him like you." Clove becomes happy.

"Please try Katniss."

I now see who some of the Careers really are. They have a passion for love and other things, not just killing. I finally see that Clove is a smart, girl who likes romance. I'm like the complete opposite of her!

"I will." I say.

"I promise."

Next is the interviews. Cinna brings my outfit, and it's a bright red dress.

"Don't twirl unless Caesar asks you, and if he doesn't save it for the big finale."

I say okay, but I'm confused. What's going to happen? I just decide to wing it and dig into my dinner before we head out. The duck filled with an orange sauce tastes so good, I ask for another one. The potatoes with butter also taste delicious. I really don't want to stuff myself, but this will probably be the only chance I get to have this stuff, so I take a slice of chocolate velvet cake for dessert.

When I get there, District 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 10 are there. Glimmer looks absolutely beautiful in her pink dress. Clove's dress is nice and the orange color looks really cool. Marvel and Cato are dressed in almost identical suits, but their ties and types of shirts are different. I wonder if cute little Rue will get here? Soon, all the tributes have shown up. We all watch the television as one tribute goes up on the stage with Caeser. Glimmer seems to feel so comfortable with him, it's almost unreal. Cato wins the audience with his charming personality. Why didn't he say anything to the audience about liking me? Oh wait, I forgot. I need to get Marvel to like Clove. I start to head over to the front of the line where Marvel is, but I'm stopped by a stupid Peacekeeper.

"Let go of me!" I yell.

"Get back in line." He orders.

I stop. I'm familiar with that voice.

"Gale?" I say, a little too loudly.

"Hi Catnip." I step back.

"Dude, just because you're eighteen doesn't mean you have to speak in that deep a voice. What are you doing here anyway?" I say.

"Oh, I got a job as a Peacekeeper. They didn't have enough for interviews, so I signed up to be a volunteer. Look what I can do!"

He takes this high-tech gun from his pocket and shows it to me.

"When you press this button, it creates a laser that is so bright it blind people in seconds." Gale presses the button and a bullet hits the ground breaking the tile. The rest of the tributes waiting in line turn to look at us.

"Dammit!" Gale says. "I pressed the wrong button."

His face blushes under his mask.

"Actually, I only got this job so I could see you. Hazelle didn't want me to go because she know it would make you teary."

I get angry. I want to say: "I am not teary! I don't cry because I break up with a boy or crap like that! I have better and more important things to do in my life!" But I don't. Clove will hear me. Instead I hug him. I see everyone else looking at me like "Why are you hugging a Peacekeeper?" so I stop.

"Is he your boyfriend?" asks Rue.

"Um, no he's my friend."

Peeta is the person who looks the most dumbfounded.

"Is that Gale?" he asks.

I say yes. Ever since the Career incident, Peeta has refused to talk to me. When it's my turn to go up, my stomach is twisted.

"So Katniss, what do you think when you were riding the chariots?" asks Caesar.

"Well, um, I hoped I didn't burn to death. I liked my outfit a lot though." The audience laughs.

"Great!" exclaims Caesar. "What did you find the most exciting when you first got here?"

"Definetely the food! It's really tasty!" The audience laughs again. "Do you have a special boy in mind? With the looks you have, you must have a boyfriend."

I don't know what to say now. I already told Clove that I don't like Cato. If I say Cato, what will happen? How about Peeta or Marvel? I am so confused that a name slips out. The crowd gasps. It's Cato.


	7. Tears and Cato

7

Uh. When is this going to be over? As I head back to my room, I stomp my feet. Effie starts getting annoyed at me.

"Katniss! Don't ruin the almond plush carpeting! It's very expen-"

I shut the door in her face. I lock it, too.

I bury myself in a pillow, tears streaming down my face. Why couldn't I just say nobody? Then this whole mess would've never happened. I hear the doorbell ring, and I stop crying. The place becomes quiet, and I can hear soft voices coming from the living room. Someone is coming upstairs now. They walk to my room and knock on the door. I don't answer, and I hear them go away, and enter another room nearby. Oh no! I forgot to lock the other door. Cato comes in.

"Hey." He says.

"Hi." I say.

I want to tell him I don't like him, because I don't like anybody! But before I can say anything, the doorbell rings again. Someone comes upstairs. I sigh and open the door. It's Glimmer.

"Hi Katni-." She stops.

"Oh sorry, um I didn't realize you guys were having a conversation. Bye."

Cato looks at me.

"Hey, thanks for saying you liked me. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

I take a deep breath, and begin. "Look, Cato. I don't like you. I'm sorry, but the only reason I said that is because I wasn't thinking."

I look up at him, and his hands clench into fists. He then releases them, and calms himself down. Tears start to run down my face again. He comes over and gives me a hug.

"What are we going to do about this mess?" I say, my face buried in his shirt.

"We'll figure something out." He says.

"It's going to be okay."

I hear a knock on the door and Glimmer, Marvel, and Clove enter. They see me in my condition and Glimmer runs over to me.

"Katniss, are you okay?" I nod, but more tears stream down.

"It's going to be all right." says Clove. "We won't let anything happen to you."

She gives me a hug. "But why did you see you loved him?" she whispers in my ear. "No, I don't. I wasn't thinking when I said it." I say. "I promise." Clove gives a sign of approval and gets back up. She kisses Marvel on the cheek. I start laughing, I'm so happy for Clove.

"Wait, you're dating?" I wipe the tears from my eyes. "Yeah." says a calm Marvel. "The relationship has gone on for about 3 hours." Clove grins, and they kiss again. Glimmer pouts. "So I'm the only one who's not dating?" Cato speaks up. "Actually, Katniss panicked when she said she liked me. I was annoyed at first, but since I trust her, I wasn't that angry." He gives me a wink.

"Oh phew!" Glimmer breathes a sigh of relief. "I was worried that you guys, never mind." Everyone turns to go except Cato. Once everyone is gone, he stands up and is ready to leave, but I stop him on the way out. I give him another hug and thank him. His mood seems to become happier. He says one more thing.

"Listen, even if you like me as a friend, I want you to know that I will always love you."


	8. Holding On

8

I sleep soundly through the night. No nightmares, just the quiet sound of the wind. I stretch for a moment, and then get up. Today is the big day. Today is when I go in the arena and win this thing. God, I'm starting to sound like the Careers! I eat breakfast, but Peeta isn't there. Did he see me yesterday with all the Careers over her and me hugging Cato? I wonder if he was jealous, and I can't help but laugh.

Cinna comes in.

"Hello Katniss." he says calmly.

"Here is your uniform for the arena."

He hands me the clothes. I put it on. Cinna is the only person I actually feel comfortable changing in front of, because he's unlike Flavius or Octavia who looks away, trying not to giggle. When I finish, we talk for a few more minutes.

"I feel so nervous going into the arena." I blurt out.

He looks me straight in the eyes and says "Katniss, from the moment I met you, I counted on you. I know you're going to do fine, just look at that eleven. Just remember, when the gong sounds, get out. Pick up a few things, but don't wait and start killing the other tributes. Find a good source of water and you'll survive."

I nod, and then Peeta comes in the room. I avoid looking at his eyes for some reason. I know we're in an alliance, but Peeta doesn't want to be with the Careers. Then I think I get it. Could Peeta only want to be in an alliance with me because he likes me, and he can trust me? I say goodbye to Effie and Haymitch. Effie actually gets a little teary and wishes me good luck, but I get a little bit irriated when she says that she wants to be promoted to a better district next year. Haymitch gives me two things of advice. One, survive. Two, when the gong sounds, get the hell out of there.

All the tributes sit in a weird room, strapped to a chair. A Peacekeeper puts something in my arm, and I yelp a little.

"What was that?" I ask.

"It's a device that tracks you at all time, so we know that you didn't leave the arena, and so we can see where you are."

After a few more minutes, everyone is all set. Cato sees me and smiles at me, and I return the expression. Suddenly, I am being pulled back into the darkness, and for a moment all I see is a bright light. When I stop, I get off and enter a room marked "District 12 Female." A Peacekeeper is standing there, and he leads me in the room. God, why can't I do it myself? It's not like I'm going to run off or something. Cinna is there, with a coat for me. I take it and pull the zipper all the way up, because the room is absolutely frigid. Cinna gives me a hug, and the warmth from his body makes me forgot about the freezing room. A lady's voice suddnenly booms through the intercom. "30 seconds." I instantly know what that means. If you don't get into the tube that carries you to the arena in the certain amount of time, the tracker device in your arm blows up, killing you and your surroundings. I turn and head to the tube, but a voice stops me.

"Katniss." Cinna smiles at me.

"Good luck."

I step into the device, and wait. I wave goodbye to Cinna, and he waves back.

**I'll try to update really soon! Give me ideas for future ideas and maybe I'll add them in! :)**


	9. AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE READ!

_I am so deeply sorry I haven't updated this story in forever. I got a new computer, and have been using this one to type up my stories, and all the "Katniss Everlasting" documents are on my old computer, which I never use since it's too slow. It takes forever to upload documents, or do ANYTHING on FanFiction. It freezes for about 30 minutes, then shuts down again. _

_Please understand this, I have about FIVE more chapters I wrote up a while back. And my lazy side took over and didn't even bother to convert them onto my new computer. I feel so bad, I wanted to somehow make it up to you by making two new stories, and they are NOT a one-shot, they will turn into a multi-chapter story. My apologies to everyone out there who reviewed, followed, and favorited the story.  
_

_I WILL STILL CONTINUE THIS, DO NOT WORRY! I haven't gave up on this. But please note that my five other chapters are not as good as my current writing, I have improved greatly over the past few months because of this site. :)  
_

_If you want me to continue this story, just tell me in a review or a PM so I will know how many people want me to still proceed forward.  
_

_Thank you, and I do hope you understand.  
_

_-soccerstar4242  
_


	10. Staying There

**It's finally here. Chapter 9. **

**A/N: But, I've decided I'm going to rewrite this story, or at least make the story have better chapters. I have progressed over the months in writing, so I want to make this piece of writing EVEN BETTER for you guys! :))  
**

**-Flying Mockingjay  
**

9

As the tube brings me up, I breathe in and out, trying to calm myself. I suddenly see the light shining in through the hole. I squint, and shield my eyes. Then I see the arena. It's a beautiful field, full of lush berries and bright green grass. I see the Career tributes all waiting for the gong to sound. Sixty seconds, and then we step up off the plates. I see Peeta look at me, and then quickly avert his eyes to the Cornucopia. It's overflowing with goods and weapons, ranging from swords to arrows. Arrows! I see a silver pack of them right against a pack.

The gong sounds and everybody runs. I sprint for the arrows but the girl from District 6 reaches for them at the same time I do. Her grip is strong at first, so I feel it slipping from my fingers until she gets knocked to the ground by Clove, and her throat is slit. I thank Clove and she nods. I then grab my arrows and see Cato coming toward me. "Katniss, duck!" I do and I see his sword hit a tribute and I hear the scream that follows. I see the girl from District 3 on the ground, and Glimmer stabs her hard in the stomach. I turn and look away, because the blood is flowing from the girl like crazy. BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Several cannons go off, each signaling a tribute's death.

I see Marvel running towards Clove, hugging her. That's when the girl from district 9 is about to throw a knife at them, but I load an arrow and shoot. It pierces her neck and she takes it out, drowning in a heavy pool of blood. I see them thank me, and I salute to them and head over to Glimmer. She hands me a pack. The rest of the Careers come over to us, and we take some more weapons.

"Lets clear out so they can pick up the bodies." Marvel says. We all do and we see the hovercraft pick up eleven tributes. Cato comes over to me. "You okay?" he says. I say yes and he offers me to take his hand and I do. I look around and I see we have Marvel, Clove, Glimmer, me, Cato and the girl from district 4. Her partner must be dead, as he is not here. Someone else is not here either...

We all set off and head for the woods. We find a huge lake, and we put all our stuff there. I open my pack and see a flashlight, a pack of fresh berries, some bread, four knives, and a spear. "Hey Marvel!" I say. I hand him the spear and he grins, as that is his best weapon he can use.

We head out to hunt other tributes shortly after we rummage through our supplies. I see the dead tribute's faces up in the sky. The first to appear is the girl from district 3 appear first. Then the boys from 4 and 5. Both from 6 and 7. The boy from 8. Both from 9. Who's the last person? The girl from 10. The Capitol music blares through the arena and the sky is dark once again.

The people who are alive that I recognize are the fox-faced girl from 5, Rue, Thresh, and Peeta. Peeta! He didn't join the Career Pack! I want to tell the rest of the pack, but for some weird reason I want to protect Peeta, so I don't. Clove and Glimmer's pack contain some goggles, so we put them on.

"Hey!" I tell Cato. "I can see everything!" Cato laughs. "There night-vision goggles, so you can see easier in the darkness." Crackle, snap! I hear something, like a fire. That's when I see a glow and a tribute.

"Cato, I found a tribute!" I say. He notices the fire and we all set out into a run. As we get closer and closer, I can see that it's a girl, and she must have dozed off. She awakes suddenly, like she's having a bad dream, and as she sees us, she must know that her nightmare has come alive!

Glimmer runs over and stabs her repeadetely. I want to cry out, because I really don't like killing other tributes, but that's what I'm here for. The girl tries to defend herself, but she has no weapons. Glimmer walks toward us and we hear the cannon fire. She smiles triumphantly and Clove high-fives her. We stop to rest, and decide to set up our camp here. Cato hands me some fruit and I dig in, the juicy taste fills my mouth. I give him half of the loaf of bread I received in my pack, and he swallows it in one bite.

"Nice job out there." he says. "Oh, thanks!" I say. I see Clove and Marvel kissing and we look away. Glimmer and the girl from 4 are talking, too.

"Okay, you're on guard first." Cato points to the district 4 girl.

I eventually fall asleep, overwhelmed by the fatigue and exhaustion. In my dream is Prim, my mother, Cato, and me all laughing together. When I wake up it's still dark and everyone else is sleeping.

I grab a handful of nuts from Clove's pack, she probably won't mind, and shove them in my mouth. I chew quietly, not wanting to wake the others up. Suddenly, I see a small rabbit from a distance. I grab my arrow and shoot, and it falls over, dead. I rush over to it, and I see that the arrow pierced its eye. A hunt for a couple more minutes and have managed to get another rabbit. I walk back but accidentally step on a twig. Everyone else is still sleeping but Cato wakes up from my noise.

"Sorry!" I whisper.

He comes over to where I am and sits down. We watch a small pond swirl around, and then something floats down. It's a pair of socks and a jacket. I take the socks, since the pair I'm wearing right now is all dirty and soaked, and Cato takes the jacket. For a moment I rest against a tree trunk, but it's Cato's shoulder. He gives me a gentle hug and dozes off again. I fall asleep too, the light drizzling rain coming down on us.


	11. Thank You:

Thank you so much SweetxDecadence for making the cover for me. She is seriously one of my best fellows on FanFiction , and she understands me.

Thank you, it means a lot :)

-Flying Mockingjay


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